Meet Paul Brennand
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
“Happy, healthy and engaged lodges,” is the motto of Paul Brennand, Chair of the 2020-21 Membership Volunteer Action Team.
VWor. Bro. Brennand has dissolved the previous Team, and is now advertising for volunteers across Victoria to join him in a deliberate, planned effort to develop and retain members.
Paul is enthusiastic about the membership prospects for Freemasons Victoria.
Paul was born in post-war London, “within the sound of Bow Bells”. Bomb sites were his childhood playground.
He was schooled at Tottenham Grammar, and he has been a lifetime supporter of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Paul grew up in a happy, loving working-class family. His father, Ben, was a public servant, who started work at age 12 as a Post Office boy. Ben served in the Navy.
Ben and wife Marge married in July 1939. World War II started in September 1939.
Paul had an older sister, Sandra; and a younger brother, Garry, who studied for a Master of Economics, and settled in Vienna.
Paul was born in 1948, first attending Risley Avenue Primary School in Tottenh-am. He did well but did not enjoy school; he mentions that he did not attend university.
His first job, at age 17 in 1965, was with Honeywell: “Instantly I became an IT person.”
Paul said he took to information technology in a big wya. Within a few years he became the UK trouble shooter, moving around the country.
He and wife Pam met at a country location in July 1969. Pam came from Loughborough in the Midlands.
They were engaged one month later, and married in September 1970. Pam had been working in fashion, as a designer, particularly with children’s wear.
Paul was offered promotion, and was given Scotland as his territory. From his sales success, he won a trip to Jamaica where he met Honey-well team members from Australia.
Six weeks later, Paul received a letter with a job offer, and by 1974, the couple and their young son Stuart had arrived in Sydney, Australia.
Pam was pregnant with twin sons – Robin and Martin. Paul describes Pam as “the most wonderful supporting person that I could have”.
There were further career moves to Western Australia, being headhunted for a senior position in the United Kingdom, then being ‘recycled’ into the Honeywell operations in Australia.
The Brennands moved to Cairns in Far North Queens-land, and Paul worked with an Indian software company for 10 years, Telstra, intro-duced Optus to the region, and also had a decade-long stint with the Department of Main Roads.
Elder son Stuart had already moved to Merimbula. (Robin and Martin stayed in the UK.)
Stuart was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 28, about 20 years ago. At the time, Paul had also been diagnosed with serious illness, and they were both hospital-ised together for a year.
Stuart, although wheel-chair-bound, walked down the aisle when he was married to Amanda. Stuart is a Lewis.
Son Robin is married to Chez, and they have two grand-daughters, Isabelle and Jessica.
Robin has a senior position with Virgin Money.
Martin, who is single, is director of a technology company.
Paul started his Masonic life in the United Kingdom, after discussions with a golfing friend, who became his proposer.
Paul was initiated into the Archbishop Abbott Lodge in Godalming, in the county of Surrey, in 1989.
He said that all lodges in the area were in a healthy condition, with 20-30 at monthly meetings, plus weekly Lodges of Instruction.
By 1994, he was in the Chair, and he went on to join other orders including Chapter, Mark, Royal Ark Mariners and Rose Croix.
Ten years later, after arrival in Cairns, Paul joined the Allen Lodge. He noticed quite a difference.
In the UK, he was used to the classical emulation ritual: “You had to know everything.” A Master would do all the charges.
He said Freemasonry in Tropical North Queensland was relaxed, and this “threw” him at first.
Attire was white shirt sleeves, although formal occasions had a white evening jacket.
For ceremony, “everyone sharpened up”. Queensland lodge life demonstrated skill, ability, more fun and happiness.
He was Master of the Lodge three times, later serving as Secretary.
Paul was also a member of the Duyfken Lodge, named after the first European ship to come to Australia in the early 1600s.
Paul and Pam’s move to Victoria came after Stuart became quite ill, and there were concerns that Stuart might be lost to them after a coronary arrest.
They moved to Lakes Entrance, and Paul joined the Gippsland Lakes Lodge in 2017. He was promptly invested as the Lodge’s Junior Warden.
After having been in the Chair five times, it became six (the first in Victoria).
Paul also joined a number of Bairnsdale-based orders.
He started visiting, and that is when he met incoming Grand Master, Richard Elkington.
Paul became District Co-Ordinator, and he started his Grand Lodge journey.
He made application last year to become Grand Superintendent of Membership, and was appointed by the Board of General Purposes.
Paul had been an important part of the District Grand Lodge of Carpentaria, part of the United Grand Lodge of Queensland.
He was part of the Grand Lodge team, occupied just about every rank, was President of the Board of General Purposes there, served as District Grand Registrar, District Grand Director of Ceremonies, and as Distrct Grand Secretary.
He had been looking forward to retirement, but duty called in Victoria. Outside of Freemasonry, Paul enjoys golf, travel and gardening.
He has also been an active member of Rotary and Probus: “I’ve tried to be in service.”
He has definite aims for the membership portfolio. His vision for “happy, healthy and engaged lodges” has a first priority of “stemming the leak”.
Paul says that Freemasons must look to change some of the ways we have done things in regard to membership.
One aspect is to examine why people have left lodges.
He describes as having a “come back” attitude, where former members are enthusiastically welcomed back.
We need to say: “Do you know, we’d really love you to come back.”
He says there is a wealth of fabulous ideas, and there is a lot of listening needed.
Paul especially wants to listen to the viewpoints of members in regional and rural Victoria.
He says Brethren in country Victoria feel that they are not being listened to by their metropolitan peers.
Country lodges are different to city and metropolitan lodges, and have different needs.
Paul says the role of the Membership Volunteer Action Team is to help all Lodges across Victoria.
There needs to be a mood where members are happy, and want to go.
The ‘healthy’ aspect is for Freemasons to enjoy doing their ritual, “not necessarily millimetre perfect”, but it is about making good men better.
‘Engagement’ is about doing things, not just being passive.
Paul Brennand is serious about improving the way that the four Volunteer Action Teams – Membership, Communications and Marketing, Works and Masonic Knowledge – work together.
He has been key in getting the four Superintendents working together.
Paul says he is eager for Lodges across Victoria to resume their meetings.
All in the family
Son Stuart’s membership of Freemasonry is something of great pride for Paul.
“He left the UK to come back to Australia about a year after we returned.
“Whilst there, Stuart was approached by a close friend who was then Worshipful Master of my mother Lodge (Archbishop Abbott), with a view to joining and he was initiated in January 2006. “I was given the privilege of participating so Pam and I flew back to the UK for a week and I did the second half of his Initiation.
“He then did his Second Degree in UK prior to coming home and I was in the chair in Allan Lodge in Cairns where we performed his Third Degree.
“Stuart is currently a member of Pambula Daylight Lodge which has a regular visitation from and with Gippsland Lakes and Bairnsdale Daylight which is great.
“Stuart has been in various roles in his Lodge including Secretary, but is currently Inner Guard to accommodate his frailty.
“It is both his and his Lodge’s ambition to get Stuart through the Chair at soonest.
“The Secretary of my Lodge (Gippsland Lakes) has applied for Lewis Pins for Stuart and me,” Paul said.
Paul Presenting a vibrant attractive all inclusive environment will attract member and visitor involvement it will take time but happen it will